Intertwined
by Beer-monster
Summary: My first fic based on a rather insane idea. A shinji Rei fic ,and bizare X-over Please read and review
1. Dreams

Disclaimer: Evangelion and RK are properties of their respective owners blah blah blah. I don't  
own this stuff so don't sue me.  
  
Intertwined by Beer-monster  
Dreams  
  
He sat crossed legged in the small garden, letting the dampness from the grass seep through his hakama. His face   
was tilted up, staring at the moon which illuminated the clouds in the sky with silvery light. A sudden gust of humid   
wind ruffled through his unruly red hair, he did not notice.  
What ? Where ?  
His thoughts swept through his head like the rushing current of a river. Focusing his mind would be like trying   
to catch water in his fist. Yet every thought was about her. Memories of what they had shared, dreams of a future that   
could never be. All revolving around a great yearning, He wanted her. He did not deserve her. She was pure , at least she was until he   
had touched her. He hated himself, but he wanted to do it again. To feel her soft skin against  
his, he run his hand along...  
The river froze and he heard the almost imperceptible sound of footfall on grass, and the scent of jasmine. She  
was here. He became aware of his breath quickening. He had been in battles, felt the splash of blood on his face yet this  
girl had such a powerful effect on him. He tried to force calmness, but then she spoke.  
" Kenshin," her voice came soft as a breeze.  
" Hai Kaoru-dono? "   
Dono?   
" Why are you avoiding me?" she asked  
" I'm not," the lie sounded hollow in his own ears.  
" Don't lie to me Kenshin, don't ever lie to me" she said, her voice was broken and ragged. She was crying. He had hurt   
her again.  
He forced himself to turn around and face her. She's beautiful, She is. He saw the tears slide down her cheeks   
from her bright, blue eyes. He felt his heart break, then shatter.  
" Kaoru-dono?" he reached for her and she stepped back. He left his hand outstretched as he died inside.  
" Why Kenshin, why do you do this to me you said you would never hurt me."  
" I must for your own good."  
She looked up at me, her tears paralysed as confusion set in. " What?" she  
whispered.  
" I'm leaving Kaoru, and this time I won't come back," he confessed forcing his voice to be like iron. What.  
" No Kenshin you can't," she said breaking into a fresh storm of weeping.  
He turned away. He could not stand to see her cry even if he was the cause. As he often was.   
" It'll get better Kaoru. You'll move on, he soothed.  
" No Kenshin, I'll die without you," she wailed.  
" You wont Kaoru, you're strong. Stronger than me. You always were."  
" You can't..."  
" I must, " he interrupted. " Aishiteru Kaoru."  
He started walking and did not look back. A tear slid town his face as he heard her  
desperate cry.  
" KEENSHIIIN!"  
  
" Iiyaaah!" Shinji cried as he bolted upright in his bed. He looked around with blurry eyes. What a weird dream.  
" SHINJI STOP YELLING I HAVE A HANGOVER," Misato bellowed.  
" SORRY," he shouted in reply.  
" GET UP AND MAKE BREAKFAST."  
He rolled out of bed and yawned. The image of that girl from his dream came back to him. Her long, shining, black   
hair tied in a blue ribbon. Those beautiful azure eyes welled up with tears. It was a dream forget it, he mentally slapped himself.  
Grabbing his towel he wrapped it over his boxers and headed off for a shower. As he passed through the living room he saw  
Misato fumbling with a bottle of Tylenol. Suddenly the lid popped of and pills showered everywhere.  
" Waaaaaaaah" she cried.  
Chuckling mildly to himself Shinji made his way to the bathroom and closed the door behind him.  
  
****  
" KEENSHIIIN," she cried, her voice hoarse. why am I yelling  
He did not turn, did not even falter. He kept on walking, walking out of her life, his  
long tail of scarlet hair swaying as he moved. Why was he leaving did he not love her as she loved him, love, what is  
love.   
Her legs buckled and she fell to her knees hard. The pain from her knees was not noticed over the tearing pain  
in her heart. No, Kenshin no. Why was this happening why could  
she not just die. I want to die.  
  
Rei's eyes snapped open. She was breathing hard and a thin sheen of sweat covered her body. That was unusual. Such  
a vivid dream. She could recall every detail.  
Particularly the man. She had never seen him before but she could summon and image of a short, handsome man with blazing  
red hair in a samurai's tail, violet eyes and crosed scar. Who was he?  
Sighing quietly she stood up, and walked naked around her dilapidated apartment. Weaving her way around discarded  
school uniforms, bandages and boxes or assorted items to the bathroom. She twisted both taps and stepped into the shower,  
letting the warm water rush over her. The dream replayed itself in her mind. Why did it hurt so much. That dream had   
exposed her to more emotion than any thing in before her life. In it she, that is the girl Kaoru, had mentioned love. But love  
was supposed to be a glorious, ecstatic experience. If it is so glorious why did it hurt so much.   
She finished washing and stepped out of the shower, coming her hair and putting on a fresh school uniform without bothering  
to dry herself.  
Perhaps I shall dream again tonight. Intriguing.   
  
  
To be continued.  
  
Authors notes: So what do you think. Am I insane for coming up with this I felt like  
writing a fan-fic and this idea wouldn't leave my head. I don't know if the whole soulmates   
idea has been done before but it seemed like an interesting idea. I will write another chapter  
when I have time and continue if I get good reviews. The story will be a  
Rei x Shinji/ Kenshin x Kaoru romance fic. I know many people prefer Shinji/Asuka  
and I do not disagree I think both couples are good matches. I simply prefer Shinji x  
Rei and wanted to write about them, so please no flaming about my choice of characters. I   
welcome all constructive and polite criticism as it makes me a better writer,  
but I can't always agree. One last thing if there are any other English anime fans out there I  
would like to hear from you so leave a message on the review board.  
Cheers for reading.  
Beer-monster.  
  
PS- This is my first fic, so be gentle and review PLEEEEEEEAAASSE!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Progressions

Discalimer: I don't own this stuff so don't sue, please. I'm at college I have no money besides what I spend on beer and   
whiskey.  
  
Intertwined by Beer-monster.  
Chapter 1: Progressions.  
  
Shinji stepped out of the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist and rubbing his hand through his hair. He had   
gotten half-way across the room when he heard the loud crack of a door being slammed open, followed by an angry shout  
of " HEY BAKA SHINJI, MAKE MY BREAKFAST!"  
Shinji sighed rolled his eyes in exasperation. " Ohayo Asuka.," he said. She  
snorted angrily then seemed to notice his appearance.  
" Urgh, Shinji put some clothes on before I throw up."   
On reflex his head drooped, and he began to stammer an unneccessary apology.  
" Whats wrong Asuka, Shinji too much man for you," Misato said slyly.  
Asuka seemed shocked by the question, her face flushed for about half a second, before she grimaced as if recovering  
from a small lapse.  
" Too much. Ha!" she began. " I would be suprised if there was any man in there at all." Shinji decided to take this  
oppotunity to slink into his room as Misato responded with, " Shin-chan looks man enough for me. You know what they say  
about the quiet ones."  
He closed the door but could not block off Asuka's reply of " Hentai. You're supposed to be our guardian, not a   
cradle-robbing perv."  
Shinj tried to block it out as he finshed drying and got dressed in his usual black  
trousers and white shirt. But when he returned to the kitchen and put on his apron, they were still talking about it.  
" You're one to talk Asuka. You shouldn't lecture people about going for people out of their age range while you still  
moon after Kaji."  
" I DO NOT Moon after him. It's just Kaji is the only one man enough to deserve my company."  
" I doubt that. He may be a baka but hes not insane."   
" WHAT ARE YOU IMPLYING? "  
" What do you think I'm implying. C'mon Asuka you went to college."   
" Humph! You're just jealous Misato. Jealous because Kaji is interested in someone as young and beautiful as me  
and not some lonely, pruple-haired old wind bag."  
" SHUT YOUR FACE!"  
Shinji sweatdropped, pulled out a pan and started frying some sausages.  
  
Later on, Shinji walked into the classroom rubbing the side of his face where Asuka had slapped him, followed by a   
string of german insults. Touji and Kensuke  
tried to look at him sympathecally, while trying to fight grins unsuccessfully.   
" What did you do this time" Touji asked as he approached them.  
" I don't know, I never do" he replied.  
" Does she need a reason." Kensuke said " Satan never does." All three boys stated laughing and were interupted when Asuka  
approached them, with Hikari staring down her nose.  
" You shouldn't say things like that Aida," the class rep said taking the moral stand.  
" Yeah, " Asuka agreed. " Especially when I'll break your arms if you do it again."  
All three boys gulped loudly and didn't relax until the teacher had arrived and they were forced to take their places.  
Hikari went through the whole stand, bow, sit routine and the teacher took in ahis breath to begin the same, boring lecture   
about the second impact. But before he could launch into his tirade he noticed Rei standing by the door.   
" Ayanami, you're late. Again."  
" I know," she replied softly and walked to her seat. The teacher bristled and was about to shout at the tardy girl but   
then noticed she had sat and was staring out the window as usual. Knowing there was no point he began his lecture.  
Shinji fought to keep his eyes open. The monotonous tone of the teachers voice was drilling at his skull. Every day for   
the past year he had given the same lecture in the same way. Never changing it in the slightest, he would have been able to   
recite it from memory if he hadn't stopped listening about nine months ago. Instead he turned on his computer and loaded up a   
low memory, video he had gotten of Kensuke. It was called Soul Caliber, supposed to be quite popular just before the impact.   
He chose the one player game and picked Mitsurugi as his character.   
He hacked and slashed his way through the game, cutting up enemy after enemy, knocking out Seigfired, Taki and Ivy.  
He was currently fighting Hwang. The computer generated Korean charged at him He jumped up and slashed on his descent  
when he suddenly felt dizzy. He blinked as images flashed before his eyes.  
  
The air flew by him and tossed around his red hair as he rushed forwards,  
the speed at which he moved caused his surroundings to blur. His enemy looked suprised at his sudden movement, but then  
hardened his resolve and charged with a battle cry, drawing back his sword as the long blue sleeves of his shinsengumi tunic   
billowed from his arms. Without slowing Kenshin crouched then leapt high into the air, his foot kicking up dust as he left the   
ground. He reversed his grip on the katana, and snarled as he braced it point first at the man.   
" Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu Tsui Sen!"  
The point of the swords peirced through the shinsengumi's skull like pushing a pin  
through silk. Blood spurted from the wound across Kenshin's single scarred cheek. He had barely landed before he charged   
again at a second man. Ducking under the man's hasty sword swing and slicing open his belly as he heard the first body hit the   
ground.  
He was covered in blood. It ran down his brow and across shining, amber eyes.  
  
"IKARI," the Teacher snapped.  
Shinji's vision wobbled and wavered before gradually clearing. He the noticed he was sat on the floor his hands braced  
against his desk supporting his weight. Having no idea how he got there and deciding he looked an idiot on the floor he pulled  
himself up. Looking around he could see curious adn worried expressions on his classmates. Even Asuka looked concerned,  
but Ayanami continued to stare out the window.  
" Ikari are you okay?" the teacher asked.  
" Yes, sir it was just a dizzy spell. Sorry for interrupting."  
" Very well," the teacher relpied before lanching into his lecture again.  
He quickly tuned out of the teachers babble. That man. The one with the red hair, he was the one in my dream. It  
was the same man but he had no cross-scar. The vision had seemed so real, as if he was reliving a memory. It unnerved him.  
As the man had thrust his sword into his opponent, Shinji could have sworn he felt the life drain from the victim. He could also   
remember feeling pleasure and bloodlust with undercurrents of guilt. The sensation of killing a man face to face ,was so different  
to the feeling of destroying and angel with a bio-mechanical weapon. The spurt of blood seemed to life like he could almost  
taste it. Why is this happening to me.  
  
LATER  
Shinji was picking nonchalantly as it his bento with a considerable lack of appetite. Touji and Kensuke watched with   
round eyes full of envy and disbelief. Finally Touji just could not take it any more and swiped the tray. He gobbled the food  
down with loud snarfing noices.  
Shinji said nothing but continued staring of into space. However the general direction of space in this case was the  
lunch queue. Then something in his field of vision caught his undivided attention.  
There was a girl from his class standing casually in the line, minding her own buisiness. Hitomi was her name, she was   
short and pretty in a petit, cutsie doll sort of way. But it was not the girl who had Shinji's reagrd. It was the long ribbon of  
lavender silk that was woven in her dark hair.   
He could not help but stare. Seeing that such a small item stiired something in him.  
  
Kenshin ran his long fingers through Koaru's ebony tresses slowly as he glided the comb through her hair. He could   
barely stand being so close to her, having the sweet, jasmine scent of her flood his nostrils was exquisite torture.  
He leant over her to set the comb on her dresser, noticing she had her eyes closed for some odd reason. Gently he   
palced his hand over hers that were floded in her lap. Relishing the feel of her, even the tiny calluses on her fingers from hours  
of sword practice. Such imperfections made her more real, more substantial, more Koaru. And that was as close to perfect as   
anyone could come. Slowly he pried the lilac ribbon from her grasp and took it, allowing the thin strip of silk to trail through her   
fingers.  
He then gathered her raven locks and began the weave the ribbon through them, slowly. He lovingly wrapped her  
shiny hair in the silk before tying it back into tail. He stroked her hair softly before reluctantly removing his hands and standing  
up.  
" A...Arigato Kenshin," she said softly, barely more than a whisper.  
" You're welcome Kaoru-dono. You are always welcome," he said.  
  
Shinji came slowly back to reality but not before the other two stooges acught him looking.  
" Hitomi huh?" Kensuke said.  
" Yeah Shinji I would never have expected you to go for the cutsie type, but living with Asuka I guess a man would   
need anything different to that demon," from Touji   
" He's got a point though Touji, look under that skirt she has dynamite legs."  
" Yeah, but she's standing the wrong way. We can see how well racked she is."  
" Shinji doesn't seem to mind. I bet he's really enjoying the view."  
As usual Shinji burst in with his usual string of denials.  
" No, No. You have it wrong. It's not like that. I wasn't looking at those. Stop being so perverted."  
Touji slapped him upside the head and growled " Dont give us that crap you were ogling her. What you trying to do  
memorise her face for your own "personal enjoyment" later."  
" Eeew. Don't be ridiculous," Shinji replied.  
Unfortunately Touji and Kensuke were not the only ones to notice Shinji's distraction.  
" Look at that pathetic pervert." Asuka muttered. " Practically drooling over our nubile bodies. I bet his hand is in his  
pocket right now."  
" Actually Asuka I don't think he's looking at us. He seems to be focussed on Hitomi." Hikari said being the voice of   
reason as usual.  
However to Asuka this made it worse. It was a serious wound to her pride that Shinji wasn't slobbering over her.  
What with her being so beutiful and intelligent. But she didn't let any else know this.  
" Then it is our civic duty to warn our colleague and protect her honour," the redhead said melodramatically.   
Hikari sweatdropped and sighed, before her German pal grapped her wrist and dragged her in Hitomi's direction.   
The quiet girl watched the loud gaijin and class rep approach with a puzzled face, her head tilted slightly.  
`" Sohryu-san, Horaki-sama Good afternoon. May I do anything for you," she said poliely.  
" No thank you, Hitomi. I just thought it fair to warn you that you are being leered at by that idiotic co-pilot of mine,  
and his fellow stooges,"informed Asuka.  
Hitomi head shot up like a suprised meer-cat and her eyes where suddenly large and bright.  
" Me. Ikari-kun is looking at me." She suddenly assumed a dreamy grin before bolting up and fussing with herself.  
" Oh no I must look a mess, how embarrasing."  
Asuka face faulted in confusion. Hikari sighed.  
" I knew this wouldn't work."  
Asuka looked at her quizzically so she whispered an explaination in her friends ear.  
" Didn't you know? Most of the girl in our class, in our school are crazy over Shinji."   
Asuka's eyes bugged out. " That wimp but.." she lost words to describe the situation.  
" Well he's sweet and kind. The girls like that. Also he's not that bad of a looker."   
" Not that bad a....that's insane. How long has this been going on?" Tere was now a vein swelling prominently on   
Asuka's brow.  
" Practically all year," Hikari answered. " If you listened in the locker rroms, instead of complaining about how a   
college graduate was forced to take gym class, you would have heard the girls talk about him. Some were very vocal." Hikari  
began to blush. Asuka broke of into a string of German curses to emphasise her shock.  
She then interrupted Hitomi in her daydream about kissing the male eva pilot.  
" So what. You can't just let him perv over you. You have to show some backbone and say your not an object for his  
amusement." Hitomi stared back blankly. She knew Asuka was right but she didn't want to make Shinji upset. That was how   
Asuka had bodged her chances with Ikari-kun.  
" I...I guess?" she stammered.  
Asuak gave a nod of satisfaction. " That's it then. Settled." She then grapped Hitomi and Hikari's arms, one in each  
hand. She then yanked them over to where Shinji sat.   
The boy in question was now currently blsuhing at Touji's remarks, having given up his pointless denials he lowered   
his eyes. He then had to look up to see what miracle had caused Touji shut up. His answer was found in the face of a scowling   
Asuka, a bemused Hikari and a flustered Hitomi. Oh crap!  
" Well," Asuka said expectantly turning to Hitomi.  
" Uh...urm," the girl began not finding the words.  
" Tell him how pissed off you are at his leching," Asuka commanded.  
" I wasn't leching Asuka," he turned to Hitomi. " Really I wasn't."  
" But you were staring at her," Asuka accused.  
" Well I...I."  
" Where you?" Hitomi said shyly. Always honest Shinji tried to answer.   
" Well yeah... kinda... but I wasn't perving... I was just," he sighed in failure. He just couldn't say that she reminded   
him of something from a set of weird dreams about fuedal japan."  
" Why?" the girl asked. Asuka snorted and folded her arms, she obviously wanted to hear the answer as well.  
" I...like your ribbon." he said honestly. Hitomi was obviously confused, and her hand strayed up to finger the piece of   
silk.  
" My ribbon," she said.  
" Yes." Then feeling that he couldn't leave it at that because he might hurt her feelings he added, " It looks nice on you."  
The girl blushed and started ringing her hands nervously. " Thankyou Ikari-kun."  
" You're welcome."  
A bell rang throughout the school. It was time to return to class. Hitomi smiled at Shinji before crossing the cafeteria to  
fetch her bookbag, where she promptly bagan giggling and gossiping with her friends. He bent to pick up his own bag as Asuka  
said.  
" You may have gotten away with this one but I'm watching you hentai." she then bopped him on the head and left.  
" Oro!" Shinji said as her fist landed on his skull. Oro? Where did that come from?   
He grabbed his bag and followed Kensuke and Touji to class, not noticing a certain pairs of red eyes watching him.  
  
***  
Rei had sat alone during lunch lost in her own curious thoughts about the unusual lifeform that was humanity, and so had  
missed the events between Shinji and Hitomi. However as she stood up to return to class to watched Sohryu whack Pilot Ikari.  
Then she heard his response and ALMOST gasped.  
" Oro!"  
  
Kaoru fumed as she watched Megumi flirt openly with Kenshin. HER Kenshin. He was not her yet. But soon after he had   
beaten some sense into him, and forced him to look at her as a woman and not his little sister. But that fox still shouldn't be   
draping her self over him.  
" Ken-san, would you like some more sake." the doctor purred. Kaoru ground her teeth  
together.   
" Arigato Megumi-dono," Kenshin said, smiling as he held his cup out for her to fill.  
" Y'know Ken-san. I have a vintage bottle at home, and I've got the day off tommorow. Perhaps you could leave the  
tanuki girl here and come share some sake with me."  
Steam now rose from Kaoru as her face flushed red. Yahiko and Sano saw this and began cautiously backing away.  
" Arigato for the offer Megumi-dono but..." Kenshin never got to finish his sentence  
as Kaoru charged across the room yanked Megumi off him,and began pummeling the Rurouni with her fist.  
" KENSHIN NO BAKA! " she yalled. " HOW DARE YOU LET MEGUMI POUR SAKE FOR YOU. BAKA! BAKA! BAKA!"  
Kenshin eyes spiralled under the furious girls onslaught as Megumi laughed.  
" Orooorooo"  
  
Rei slowly pondered the vision. Why would she beat him when she obviously cares for him so much. Perhaps it   
was a rare show of affection. Then perhaps pilot Sohryu cares for Ikari-kun. Nevertheless these hallucinations where now   
obviously more than dreams, since they occured while she was awake. I must ask the commander about this, she thought.  
  
AFTER SCHOOL  
Rei walked purposely through NERV, with her usual thoughtful, non-expression. Her gait was fast, and determined.   
No one moved to stop her, some wondered why the first child was there when she had not been called. But no one stopped   
her, mostly because they agreed with Kensuke and Tuoji. She gave everyone the creeps.  
" What do you think she wants?" Misato asked to evreyone at once. Ritsuko did not look up from her clipboard.  
" She'll be here to see Ikari," she said. Misato thought she heard a tinge of bitterness in the doctor's voice. Yeah I  
suppose. Why would he need a son, when he has a doll at his beck and call.   
The door slid open and Rei stepped into the commanders office. Gendo continued with his paper work. " Is there a   
problem Rei?" he said as flatly as always.  
" Perhaps. Where is Sub-commander Fuyutsuki?"  
Gendo looked up from his desk and faced the blue-haired girl. He laced his fingers together and leant upon them. " So  
tell me what is wrong."  
" Lately I have been having strange dreams, sir."  
" Everyone has stange dreams. Those who can sleep anyway."  
" They have also been occuring while I am awake."   
" Hn," Gendo grunted.  
" Also, sir they follow a strange theme."  
" Which is?"  
" I dream that I am a girl living in Japan many years ago. The Meiji era I believe. The girl is older than myself but still   
young. However all her energies seem focussed on one man."   
" Who?"  
" Some young man named Kenshin. He bright red hair and violet eyes. He carries a sword and has a scar in the shape  
of a cross."  
" Hmm. It is probably nothing to worry about, but go to DR Akagi and tell ehr I asked you to check your health."  
" Yes sir." She paused a moment in case the commander had anything more to say. She left when he simply returned  
to his work.   
He was as close to a father as she had. Father.  
  
Kaoru practiced her vertical swings with her bokken. She exhaled sharply with each stroke,b repeating the strike again   
and again to achieve perfect form. Then as she rose her wooden sword high it she felt it hit something.   
" Gargh," a guttural voice said.  
Kaoru turned and saw her father rubbing a red patch where her stray bokken had caught him in the face.   
" Oh otousan, gomenasai, gomenasai." She said as tears welled in her eyes from guilt.  
" Don't worry Kaoru-chan. It was an accident I'm alright."  
" I'm alright sweetie. You only caused a bump not death. And that is the heart of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. Remember that.   
She looked at him carefully. His narrow face and the pointed jaw lined with a short-crooped beard. The black hair tied in a   
topknow as the old samurai used to wear. Most of all the blue, fatherly eyes now shining with seriousness.   
" I will, Otousan. I promise."  
" That's a good girl now come with me, I have some sweet pastries inside for you."  
Kaoru grasped her father's hand in her own small one and they walked into the dojo together.  
  
Rei pondered the vision she had just had. It had been the same girl from her other dreams but much younger.   
She had seemed to care a great deal for her father, and her father seemd to feel the same about her. She was sure now that   
the commander held no such concern for her. Sadness began to well up in her belly, but she quashed it ruthlessly and went to   
find Dr Akagi.   
  
AN- So am I still insane. Apparently not according to you people. I must thank every one who reviewed and this part is   
dedicated to them and those who will review. To tell you the truth I'm kinda Ad-libbing this as I had the idea for the story  
but I'm not quite sure how it will progress. But there will be some Shinji/Rei bits soon. I also must say that the story is not set   
in any particular point in the EVA timeline, and will not really invove Angels and such. Sorry, but I have not seen all the EVA   
videos yet, ( in England Eva is only available by Video, I don't know how it is every where else.) On the subject of England,   
I still wish to hear from any other english Eva/anime fans out there. So if you are English or know of a fan who is leave a review.  
Hell I'd be glad to talk to any of you. That's all, keep reviewing and e-mail me with comments/ questions and suggestions.  
CHEERS   
BEER-MONSTER   
  
  
PS- sorry for any spelling errors I forgot to use spell check. 


	3. Discoveries

Disclaimer: I said before and I'll say it again. I don't own this stuff so don't sue me. I have no money anyway.  
  
Intertwined by Beer-Monster  
Chapter 2: Discoveries  
  
Kenshin grunted as he was slammed into the dojo wall. Pain flashed though his side from the recent stab wound. He panted loudly, his heartbeat throbbing in his ears.  
" HUFF HUFF HUFF HUFF"  
Then he felt it rise and could do nothing to stop it. It surged upwards like boiling lava. Hot and Energetic.  
" HUFF HUFF HUFF"  
It rose past the mental and spiritual walls he had erected a decade ago, after first love died. He tried to stop it, but it seeped through the cracks in his will power, like water gushing through a hole in a boat.   
" Huff Huff Huff Huff"  
Finally the boat broke, the bulkheads splintered under the sudden rush of water,  
and it sank. He felt the lava close over his head, and the heat sear him. Then the eerie calm took over. He was enveloped in a state of calculated composure, overlaying his great thirst and need.  
" Huff Huff....."  
He lifted his head to regard his opponent, amber eyes shining like flames beneath locks of hellfire hair. He slid himself up the wall until he was on his feet, and assumed the battou-jutsu stance. Fingers curled around the hilt of his sakaba. He had stopped panting and his lips were fixed in a steely grimace.  
He was aware of something in his way, so he pushed it aside ruthlessly.  
" Lets go," he challenged.  
If his opponent was startled by this sudden change it didn't show. Instead he drew back the sleeves of his tight blue uniform, and grinned. A feral smile crossing his gaunt, wolfish features. He was pleased, it showed in his narrow, blue eyes which peered under his long, thin, black bangs.  
A small, weak voice seemed to question " Kenshin?" The red-haired, swordsman either did not hear or did not care. Almost certainly the second. He continued glaring at his enemy who still sneered as he said;  
" Good. I seem to have your full attention."  
The tall man lowered himself into a bizarre ready stance. His weight was supported on his left leg, which was bent like a bow, while his front leg was straight and only lightly rested on the wooden floor. He stroked along the spine of his katana, before he stretched out his right hand with fingers pointed stiffly outwards. He twisted his left wrist so that the katana f1ipped blade upwards, then rose the sword over his head. He then lowered himself further and angled his body, poised like a cobra ready to strike out with venom.  
" Now to see, if you have truly returned Battousai. The true form of Gotatsu. No holding back." The gaunt warrior narrowed his eyes further so that they were bare slits.  
Then he pounced forwards with a battle cry " WAAAAAAARGH!!!"  
As he dashed forwards he twisted his body in mid-leap, sword point streaking towards Battousai. Who vanished.   
As Battosai started to bring his sword up into the attack, he felt his opponents  
knee smash into his jaw. Battousai was thrown backwards against the wall again. This time however, he bounced of the wall and staggered on his feet rubbing his jaw. . The rage smouldered in him again and his thirst grew. He barely heard the light footstep or the soft voice saying his name as  
the fury of battle rose in him. He did not felt the gentle touch on his shoulder or the whispered plea for him to stop, he saw his window of opportunity and decided to attack. He blasted forwards drawing his sword back. " YAAAAAAAAH!!!"  
His enemy also charged with his Gotatsu, sword jutting out in a violent stab.   
Battousai twisted his body and evaded the oncoming attack, but as he did the other man smiled. [ Fool he's forgotten about the side attack]. He twisted his body to slashed sideways at Battousai. But before he could the red-headed assassin spun like a hurricane and flashed his sakaba out in an arc, screaming his Ki-ai.  
" Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, Ryu Kan Sen."  
The reversed blade slammed into the taller man's skull with all of Battosai's might, amplified by centrifugal force, behind hit. The combined power of the strike lifted the warrior from his feet and sent him flying. He hit the wall and smashed through it leaving a wide hole.  
" After seeing the Gotatsu four times in a row, even a fool would think of a counter attack." Battousai taunted at the hole.  
" Get up Saito, it would be a great disappointment to end our battle like this after ten years."  
The man called Saito stood up and crouched down to enter through the gash in the wall. He rose a white-gloved hand to his face and wiped blood from his lip.  
" I was only testing your strength Battousai," he said calmly. " I'm ready to kill you now."  
Battousai smiled at the threat and replied; " You must be dreaming. That's my line." Still smiling he rose his sakaba and twisted the blade.  
  
" Haraahh!" Shinji yelped as he escaped his dream. " Fuck, not again." He broke of into a string of cursed complaints. Complaints which were justified.   
This was the second night in a row he had been disturbed by outlandish dreams about a red-haired swordsman. However, the visions were not limited to night and had already encroached upon his waking hours.   
This recent dream frightened him. As the red-haired swordsman had fought with the uniformed man named Saito, Shinji could feel his lust for battle and the thirst for blood. He felt the man's exultation as his sword had smashed into Saito's skull.  
Shinji was terrified, he could not believe it was possible for a man to feel such things.  
Even when Unit 01 went berserk it paled compared to this. Gone was the smiling Kenshin who had starred in his other dreams, replaced with a cruel, merciless-  
" Battousai," Shinji whispered. That was what Saito had called him.  
Shaking his head to banish the dream he looked over at his clock. It was five  
o'clock, an hour and a half before he had to be up. But he dared not go back to sleep.  
So he got up grabbed his towel and went to shower.  
***  
  
Kaoru's heart beat like a huge drum, as she watched through tear filled eyes  
as her beloved looked up with hate-filled, amber eyes. she thought, she heard footsteps behind her.   
" Stand aside little girl," a guttural voice ordered. Kaoru turned to its source and stared at the tall, wolfish man defiantly.  
" You're in the way, he said iritated. Kaoru stood her ground refusing to move. Then she felt a strong grip on her shoulder. She turned to see Kenshin on his feet, staring at his enemy with those gold irises. He did not seem to care that she was there. She began to speak, but Kenshin roughly pushed her aside like a branch in his way. Instead he addressed the other man with a challenge;  
" Lets go."  
Koaru watched powerless, as the swordsman launched themselves at each other, bearing their blades. She watched her man vanish suddenly before he flew backwards, propelled by the tall warrior's knee strike. She winced for him as he slammed into the wall.   
She was then frightened by his frenzied breathing She was calmed as his breathing slowed to a more regular pace, but the calm turned to terror as his amber gaze seemed more filled with hate. His assumed his stance and lifted his sakaba. The tow enemies charged at each other again, Kenshin's godspeed making him a blur to her sight. She could not see what had happened but heard Kenshin's Ki-ai and saw his enemy go crashing through the dojo wall.  
She heard Yahiko's cheering with awe at the red-heads attack. Kaoru was less entrusted as she watched the man she loved slip away slowly.  
" Get up Saito, is would be a great disappointment to end our battle like this after ten years."  
Saito pulled himself through the hole in the wall, wiping blood from his lip.  
" I was only testing your strength Battousai. I'm ready to kill you now."  
" You must be dreaming. That's my line."  
Hearing such coldness in the voice of her beloved stripped all strength and will power from her. Her knees went weak and she slumped to the floor, her hand clutched over her heart which was now beset by sharp pains. Tears streamed down her face as she realised Kenshin was gone.  
" Stop them," she pleaded desperately. " Please somebody stop them."  
  
After Rei woke up she realised she was panting, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her heart was racing, she could feel the throb of her pulse through her veins.  
Then she noticed her cheeks were wet. Daintily she lifted fingers to touch her face, and felt the dampness there.   
She leapt out of bed and ran into the bathroom almost tripping on a discarded bra. . She slapped her palm against the light switch in irritation, and blinked as light flooded the room. She then moved over to look in the mirror poised over the sink. The view of herself shocked her. Yes actually shocked her.  
Her eyes were welled up with tears and the skin was red and puffy. Tracks left by tears stained her face. Her breathing was still ragged and every so often a small moaning sound came from her lips. A sound which to those who knew better was called a sob.  
she realised.   
The dream. She remember it vividly. The girl Kaoru's emotions of love, pain, concern and sorrow had whirled in her head like a storm. She could remember feeling so powerless as the swordsman Kenshin had fought the man in the police uniform, Saito. She watched as the man Kaoru loved, the love that she had felt so intimately, changed before her to a killer. It had all seemed so real, Rei could feel the girl's every emotion. It had all seemed so real.   
Then a fragment of the dream came to her like shards from a broken vase.  
  
Saito smiled a feral, wolfish grin, as Kenshin picked himself up off the ground.  
As Kenshin assumed his battou-jutsu stance he, took on his own fighting pose to iniate the Gotatsu.  
" Now to see if you have truly returned Battousai."  
  
To Rei that name seemed familiar. Perhaps it was from one of the history books the Commander had asked her to read, to expand her knowledge. I must investigate this.  
  
SCHOOL: FIRST LESSON  
For once Rei was on time. The teacher seemed quite pleased that his lesson would not be disrupted. He did not even mind when Ikari and Sohryu entered the room, arguing. Well it could not really be called an argument.  
Shinji entered the room with his head bowed nervously and apologising profusely. Asuka followed shouting at the unfortunate boy for burning her breakfast.  
" Anta baka, how dare you. It was like eating Misato's food.," she ranted.  
" Sorry Asuka, I wasn't concentrating. I didn't get much sleep."  
" Oh I bet. You were probably having perverted thoughts about girls with ribbons." The ribbon remark reminded Rei of the scarlet one she had bought on a whim. She removed it from her pocket and stared at it, it reminded her of the one Kaoru wore. On some subconscious level that was probably why she bought it.  
Shinji however had almost jumped when Asuka had mentioned dreams. Too bad for him because the fiery red head had noticed his eyes widen, and took this as an admission of his guilt.  
" Urgh Pervert," she yelled and slapped him.  
" Oro," he yelped. Which annoyed her more.  
" Stop saying that stupid word."  
" Sorry."  
" And stop apologising," she screamed and took her seat.  
Horaki-san did the whole stand, bow, sit thing then leant over to whisper something to Asuka. The german face-faulted and shouted.  
" Oh my god. The ribbons."  
She looked around in disbelief. Every girl had a thin piece of silk woven through her hair, they came in various colours; red, orange, blue, green. This was too much to be a coincidence.  
" Looks like everyone has heard about Shinji's taste for ribbons." Hikari said to Asuka.  
" I don't believe how pathetic some people are. And over him." Inside though,  
she was smouldering with envy. Then she noticed something really bizarre, which caused her jaw to drop like a lead weight.  
" Mein Gott, even wonder girl had one," she said looking openly at the scarlet silk twined amongst Rei's slender fingers. " Her hair isn't even long enough to wear one."   
The blue haired girl regarded the ribbon in question, then looked up at Asuka with a quizzically raised eyebrow. The expression seemed to say " What are you babbling on about."  
Luckily the teacher stepped in by saying, " Thank you Ms Sohryu for pointing out the new wave in girl's fashion. Now if we could actually start upon your education, I would be most obliged." His voice was tinged with sarcasm which  
got the classes attention, so he began his lecture where he left off yesterday.  
Instead of staring blankly out of the window. Rei became determined to solve  
her nocturnal problems, although it did not show on her face. She logged on to her computer and typed in the address for a net search engine. Upon the engine she inserted the criteria: BATTOUSAI and clicked go.  
The data was collected and loaded in a nanosecond ( modern technology).   
The second sight on the list grasped her attention. It was entitled HITOKIRI BATTOUSAI, SCOURGE OR HERO OF THE BAKUMATSU.  
She double-clicked the link and entered the page. The page loaded quickly, displaying a load of graphics styled after Meiji, Japan. She clicked the icon which said  
WHO WAS HE?, and began reading the text which appeared.  
  
During the battles of the bakumatsu,  
where rival societies fought each other  
to prove the superiority of their doctrine   
in regards to the gaijin aboard the black  
ships, and peasants began to rebel against  
the Tokugawa shogunate. Assassin's   
known as hitokiri arose to fight for opposing  
sides. None more feared than the one known  
as Hitokiri Battousai. A man known to be a   
ruthless killer with unmatched sword skills.  
He fought amongst the street of Tokyo  
before and after the incident at Ikediya. Particularly  
hated by the shinsengumi faction, he was a menace  
to the shogunate, and a hero to rebels like the  
Chosu Ishinshishi. But who was he.  
From the few records of the Meiji  
and bakumatsu which survived the 2nd Impact,  
we can not tell. But there has been some speculation by   
historians that a rurouni who emerged in Tokyo ten  
years after the war, may infact have been the Battousai.  
His name was Himura.....  
  
Rei's reading was interrupted by a message window which appeared on the screen, informing her that someone from her school was viewing the same page. The system had been put in place so that students could collaborate on research projects.  
Motivated by her curiosity she clicked the user ident button, to find out who the other person was. The answer came upon another message box.  
USER ID: Ikari, Shinji  
CLASS: 2A  
  
She was surprised. Ikari. What was he doing on this site. He was hardly the model student, so she ruled out the possibility of school work. And it seemed doubtful that he had an interest in assassins of the Meiji era. Seeing only one way to find the solution, she opened the chat box.  
[ Ikari?]  
  
***  
  
Shinji was shocked when the message appeared on the screen. He had already checked on who was also viewing the page. He just didn't expect her to communicate. He never did.  
[ Ayanami?]  
[Yes.]  
[ What are you doing?]  
[ What are YOU doing?]  
He couldn't answer. How could he explain that he was searching up the name of an assassin two hundred years dead, because it was in his dream. He knew Rei wouldn't tease him, or do much in fact. But he still did not want to tell her. So tried to get his answer from her.  
[ Are you working on a project for my father?] he didn't like the idea. How could they be so close, why did he listen to her? But he excepted the reality and knew that the commander asked her to do things from time to time, relying on her vast intellect.  
[ No] came the answer. He did not know why but he was relieved.  
[ You still haven't answered my question.] she prodded.  
What was he going to say now.He tried to change the subject.  
[ Why do you have that red ribbon?]  
[ I don't know. I dreamt of a ribbon similar to this one.]  
It was strange how such an answer did not seem strange coming from her. Why would she dream of such a thing, then again he had also.  
[Ikari?]   
[Yes?]  
[ What do you mean by the word "Oro"?]  
[ I don't know]  
[ Where did you hear it?]  
He figured that since she had been so honest about the ribbon, he should be as well.  
[ I dreamt it]  
[ Is that why you are on this site?]  
[ Yes.]  
[ Me too. Perhaps we dream about similar things]  
[ What do you dream about Ayanami?]  
[ A girl in love with a man]  
That answer surprised him. Shinji did not really think Ayanami knew what love was. Or if she did she treated it as a curiosity. But he could not criticise. He did not know love for he had never experienced it. Only rejection and abandonment.   
[ What do you dream of Ikari?]  
[ Nothing important] he answer as self-depreciating as usual. Nothing he did  
was ever important in his opinion.  
[ Then why are you looking at this]  
[ I don't know]  
[ Perhaps you should see the picture at the bottom of the screen.]  
He quickly scanned the net page and saw the link to a picture file marked   
IS THIS THE BATTOUSAI?. With his heart in his mouth he clicked it.  
A wood block print of a frighteningly familiar man appeared. He wore a midnight blue gi, and wide white trousers ( hakama) of snow white. In the hand he clutched a katana, with strokes of crimson paint to represent blood along its blade.  
His wild, red hair was tied in the traditional samurai tail that swirled around his head as if stirred by the winds. His eyes shone out from the print in bright amber, like death itself trapped by paint.  
" Its him," he said out loud.  
He felt quite literally blown away. His chest stung and pain shot through his brain. The man from his dreams was a real person from over one hundred years ago. What was happening? Had inherited the memories of a long dead assassin? If so why him?  
He turned back to the screen and saw a new message from Rei.   
[ Does the name Kaoru, have any meaning to you Ikari?]  
Shinji licked lips that were suddenly very dry. He had never before met a Kaoru, but he could see a face to go with the name. A name which made his heart do somersaults .A girl, no young woman in a lemon yellow kimono. Long, ebony tresses where tied back with a strand of blue silk, and draped over one shoulder. She softly bit a moist, pink lip in a gesture which seemed so familiar. Her eyes were like beautiful azure pools, so full of life and innocence that a man could drown in their depths, and be happy with his death. Shinji could feel his cheeks burn from the blood that suffused  
them.  
[ I take it from your blushing that it does] Shinji read Rei's message then looked over at the blue-haired girl. Her unwavering scarlet gaze made his cheeks flush even more.  
Rei turned to her console and typed something. Shinji saw the massage appear on his own screen.  
[ We must talk.]  
She logged out of the chat option and Shinji spent the rest of the lesson browsing the site, to find out as much as he could about the man whose life he now shared.   
After the bell rang for lunch he grabbed his book bag, and tried to flee Kensuke.   
The freckled military fanatic had observed Shinji talking to someone on the net. Being an incredibly nosy person who was obsessed with Shinji's love life, he had been incredibly interested in this. He had ruled out Asuka because she had been continuously bitching about the ribbons. Since most girls in class liked him it could of been anyone of them. His guess had been Hitomi because of their exchange yesterday. She had been obviously mooning over him, and he had been rather shy but still friendly.   
Then he saw Shinji and Rei lock eyes across the classroom, and his face light up with embarrassment. He was surprised, but knew it had been a possibility. Both he and Touji had said that Shinji would probably end up hitched to a pilot. But they had thought it would be Asuka. After all, Rei was so cold and well, frightening. She never said anything to anyone, but then again Shinji was hardly Mr Social-butterfly. But then, just because it was unexpected it did not mean that Censure could not take the opportunity to take the piss, when class ended.  
" Is blue suddenly your favourite colour Shinji," he asked slyly.  
" Wha...?" Shinji replied dumbfoundly.  
" What is it about her? Hmm."  
" Uhhh...." Shinji was still bemused and had no idea who Kensuke was babbling about, he did know it was not good though.  
" Is it the red eyes, blue hair. That pale skin and long legs. The way her breasts press against the fabric of her blouse. C'mon Shinji you can tell me. What were you looking at that got you so excited."  
" W...Whaddya mean excited" Shinji said in a rush.  
" You know what I mean Shinji, I saw the blood rush to your face. Although I'm sure thats not all it rushed to."  
Shinji began spluttering in a fit of embarrassment as his face became hotter and began to glow sunset red. " I wasn't... It not what you.... I couldn't..." All the while Kensuke laughed and laughed.   
" Why does Ikari-kun make you laugh so Aida-san." a soft voice asked. The voice was so quiet it was almost a whisper, but it made Kensuke jump out of his skin.  
" YAAAAAAH! Oh hi Ayanami," Kensuke smiled nervously as he scratched the back of his head.  
" I must talk with Ikari.?"  
" Oh of course, I'll go find Touji" He turned as winked conspiratorially at Shinji who gulped loudly.  
" Ikari?"  
" Yes Rei...uh... I mean Ayanami."  
" Would you please come with me. We will need to discuss this?"  
" Umm....sure." Shinji said and followed Rei out of the building.  
" Uh where are we going Ayanami?" he asked as they began to walk past the basketball courts and school field.  
" You may call me Rei if you wish, Ikari."  
" Huh... why?"  
" Would you not be more comfortable."  
" Uh yeah... but if I do please call me Shinji."  
" If you wish." she said indifferently. Although this lack of emotion was normal for Rei, Shinji's lack of confidence kicked in. He looked down at his feet as he walked  
in self-afflicted shame.  
" You don't have to if you don't want to." he murmured.  
" It is probably best if I do."  
" All right then, but where are we going Rei."  
" There," Shinji followed her pointing finger to the small copse of trees in the corner of the school field.  
" Why?"   
" I felt it would be best if we discussed this alone."  
" But, everyone might think that we...." he couldn't say it.  
" What people think does not bother me Shinji. Why should it bother you?"  
" It shouldn't I guess."  
" But it does," she said it so softly it increased the effect of the revelation. For all the girl avoids humanity she had some vast insights into it."  
He noticed we had reached the copse, when Rei sat down on the grass and leant her back on a tree trunk. Shinji sat facing her leaning back against another tree.  
" Do you see the red haired swordsman in your dreams Shinji." Rei asked getting straight to the heart of it and cutting all the crap.  
" Yes."  
" So do I and I also dream of Kaoru."  
Shinji felt as if an N2 mine exploded in his head, scattering all forms of conscience, logic and coherent thought to the winds.  
" Tha...That's impossible," he whispered.  
" After what you have seen over the last year. Angels Evas. Do you really think anything is impossible."  
" Good point," he conceded before he lapsed into thoughtful silence.  
Ever the sensible one, Rei continued the line of inquisition and fought for the side of logic.  
" The first thing we must know is why this is happening," she said slowly.  
" Maybe it has something to do with Eva?" Shinji ventured.  
" Perhaps."  
" Well we are both pilots, and no one else seems to suffer from the same thing."  
" It may be a new angel attack."  
" Or a side effect of the LCL."  
" Does Pilot Sohryu suffer from the same problem?" Rei asked.  
" I...I don't know. If she does she hasn't said anything."  
" Perhaps you should ask her."  
Shinji gulped. Now THAT was a bad idea. Asuka would probably kill him if he took any interest in HER glorious dreams.  
" Uh well...uh."  
" Why was Kenshin fighting that man?" she said suddenly.  
Shinji was taken a back by the sudden question. Like much of what Rei said it came out of nowhere like lightning out of the blue. But he responded in his usual way, fumbling.  
" Huh...Wha...?"  
" Why would he fight Saito?" she asked again.  
" He fought to protect Kaoru and Yahiko." Shinji did not have to think about his answer. He knew it was right. He had felt Kenshin's desire to keep the woman and boy safe. He had felt his love.  
" But we know that Kenshin was a killer, he was the Hitokiri Battousai." Rei's voice was like always, flat, cold and logical. " Why would he fight to protect someone,  
and why would he fight with a reversed blade."  
" Per...Perhaps he changed. Grew tired of killing."  
" But his eyes were glowed amber like an animals," for once Shinji thought he could hear a slight tremor to her voice. But it was gone in a fraction of a second. " He enjoyed fighting. Kaoru feared for him, she cried for him."  
" I...know. What could stop a man like that from killing."  
Rei listened to Shinji with her head tilted, obviously considering this question. After a while she softly, and indifferently said " Love."  
Shinji blinked. Surprised Rei knew of such a thing.  
" I have heard that Love has powers beyond that of Angels or God. That it could change the very nature of existence. I do not believe such a thing is possible, and until recently I did not believe in love. But perhaps it could change such a man's heart."  
Shinji was shocked to hear something so eloquent and beautiful from Rei's lips. Even if her soft voice and uncaring tone had made it seem as if she was giving the answer to a maths problem. That love was something simple and logical, a product of the mind not the heart. The words were still moving, and Shinji began to look at the blue haired girl, differently. And as he did he noticed how beautiful she was. How her azure hair lightly fell over her brow, and feathered the delicate skin of her neck. The soft curve of her cheek and jaw, The pale pout of her lips. And the glow of her scarlet eyes. He noticed he was holding his breath, so softly sighed.  
" How does love change a man?" she asked almost to herself.  
Then Shinji's mind was assaulted with images and visions. Visions which were  
laden with such sadness and anguish such as even he had never felt, and he had felt much pain.  
  
Kenshin had felt the slight resistance against his sword as he brought it down in a violent arc. But where he had expected to hear a man's scream of pain, the soft gasp of a woman filled the still air. Blood spilled onto his arm and soaked his midnight-blue  
gi.  
Slowly the spots and blurs over his sight began to clear. What he saw when the haze lifted made his heart stop and his blood turn to ice.  
A white, silk kimono slowly turning crimson as blood seeped across its fabric.  
Long, coal black hair had flew from the lavender ribbon, and now spread across the snow like spilt ink. A small tanto was clutched by the blade in a small, fragile fist. One tiny trickle of blood leaked from the corner of lips which now moved with the rough,  
ragged rhythm of laboured breathing. Worst of all, the pair of dark eyes, eyes which had once filled him with such joy, now bored into his soul as the shine of life faded from them.  
His sword dropped from numb fingers and clattered on the ground. Kenshin scrabbled to the woman, falling to her side where he gathered her in his arms. Her blood ran over his hands, staining them forever with his guilt and could never be washed away.He cradled her to him as she struggled to breath. He did not notice the tears stream in hot, salty trails down his cheeks. Finally he screamed, filling his wail with all his pain so that it rang in the night sky like the howl of a dying wolf.  
" TOMOE!!!!"  
  
Shinji swallowed, and he squeezed his eyes shut as he willed himself not to cry. Then he answered Rei's question.  
" If love is lost."  
  
  
AN: Yeah I know it got a bit melodramatic at the end. But I really wanted to try and capture Kenshin's feelings at Tomoe's death. If any of you are RK fans please review and tell me if I succeeded. As for the Rei/Shinji Waff part, this is a romance story so I had to start the sentimental fluff somewhere and this seemed like a good place to begin. Think of it as a prelude to the more serious fluff I should be adding in the next chapter  
Also I know that the fight with Saito wasn't exactly as in the manga, but I was working from memory alone, think of it as dramatic licence. As I may have said before the story is not set in any particular place in the eva plot. It is in fact outside the main plot, but its not AU. Therefore the comment about him never knowing  
anyone called Kaoru is accurate. And anyway I prefer the Kaworu spelling for the 17th  
Angel. Also to those who are not sure how I tie in RK with Eva I will try and make it apparent in the next chapter, if I can side-step a small landmine the Eva plot has put out for me. Please forgive any spelling errors I'm too lazy to proof-read.  
Thanx to all who reviewed, for all you praise and suggestions. Your support is appreciated and vital to the life of this fic. Dont that sound corny. But I really do appreciate your review. Please keep em coming and all any suggestion or quibbles.  
You can also e-mail if you wish (especially if you are an English anime fan) I would love to hear from you.  
Well that's it just though I'd get that off my chest.  
Ja Ne  
Beer-monster  
  
  
PS- I'm giving serious consideration to taking on a proof reader. Not that I really know what that job entails as this is my first fic. Any offers. All I ask is that you have some knowledge of Eva and RK. If interested e-mail me.   
  
  
  
  
. 


	4. Continuation

Disclaimer: Owned by whoever owns it not me. Don't sue please I'm poor.  
  
Intertwined  
By Beer-monster  
  
Chapter 3: Continuation   
  
" When love is lost," Shinji said softly.  
Shinji's breath was fast and shallow. He could still feel the blood run over his  
fingers and the dead weight of the woman in his arms.The fragments of Kenshin's  
memories were now scattered, but the emotional wounds still remained. In the instant  
that he saw Tomoe's body, Kenshin felt so much pain that Shinji had thought a man's  
heart would explode under the stress.  
He then noticed his eyes stung with unshed tears. He blinked them back  
hurriedly, and saw Rei watching him, her head tilted as she regarded him with red eyes  
like a curious hawk.   
" Uh...I...I'm sorry Rei. I shouldn't..."   
" What did you see?," she interupted flatly.  
" What...huh?" he stuttered.  
" For several seconds you were breathing rapidly and raggedly. Your vision  
seemed detached from your surroundings and your pupils dilated. I assumed you  
experienced a vision or flashback of some sort." She might as well have been reading a  
passage from a schoolbook for all the emotion in her voice.  
" Uh..well yeah... but..."   
" So what did you see?" she persisted.  
" I saw Kenshin. He k...killed a woman. A woman he cared for deeply."  
" Was it Kaoru?"  
" No...it was someone else. A woman named Tomoe."  
" Tomoe?"  
" Yes, he seemed to love her."  
Rei seemed to consider this before saying. " But I thought he loved Kaoru."  
Shinji noticed a tightness to her voice, she seemed angry. Angry at Kenshin, as if he  
was cheating on her... on Kaoru.  
" No. This was before then. He only had one scar on his cheek. No cross."  
Rei tilted her head again to process these details in her mind. Her face was as  
indifferent as ever, but Shinji could tell she was analysing his story from every logical  
angle. Watching her was like watching the flashing of binary codes upon a super-  
computer (like the magi) as it calculated vertices and probabilites to find the solution.  
There was a cold, yet serene beauty about her as she did do. Like the beauty an  
engineer finds in the running of a well-oiled machine, but this was far more astounding.  
The whole process lasted no more than a tenth of the second, such is the speed of  
human thought.   
" Why did he kill her" she asked.  
Shinji thought back to the vision. Trying to relive every detail. He saw the  
slash, felt the splatter of blood. But saw no reason for it. In fact it was hard to see at  
all.  
" He couldn't see, his sight was all blurry. Perhaps it was an accident."  
" An accident," Rei said.  
" Yes. I can't see how he would do it on purpose."  
" Perhaps she deserved it. Perhaps she betrayed him."  
Shinji just shook his head slightly before, continuing nervously. Hs low self-  
esteem, berating him for even thinking of disagreeing with another person, particularly   
one as smart and beautiful as Rei.  
" I...It wouldn't matter. He...he loved her."  
" As much as he loved Kaoru," she asked. A hint of challenge in her voice.  
" Well I think so."   
Rei sniffed in what seemed to be annoyance and indignation. Shinji thought he  
was hearing things -after all this was Rei- and carried on.  
" But it was different."  
" Different?," she said, going back to her usual flat but a little curious tone.  
" Well...that is...he just felt different about her."  
" Perhaps she was a relative, his sister," Rei suggested as if trying to convince  
herself.  
" No, it wasn't like that. It was romantic love just..." he broke of and sighed  
dejectedly. This was ludicrous, with all of his problems he was trying to figure out the  
live of a century long dead samurai, and failing.  
" What's the point," he said quietly. " Why am I trying to determine the  
emotions of some dead man when I can't even sort out my own."  
He looked at Rei, who was watching him through those brilliant red eyes again.  
There seemed to be the smallest ghost of a smile on her pale lips, inperceptable to  
anyone who had never seen her smile before. She nodded at him in what seemed to be  
agreement, the action so small it did not even phase her azure hair.  
" Good question," she said. Something in her voice suggested she felt the same  
way. Once again Shinji's self-confidence kicked ( or lack there of) and he thought he  
was hearing things again. After all who would agree with him or share his feelings.   
" We should return to class," she said after a while.  
" Huh?" Shinji uttered after not paying attention to her.  
" Our designated lunch period is almost over."  
" Oh." He pulled himself to his feet and started to frenziedly brush blades of  
grass from his uniform pants. He then turned to Rei and offered her his hand, in what  
he thought was a chivarous way. Rei just stared at his outstretched hand as if she had  
never seen the five-digited appendage before and was wondering what it was. Finally  
she stood up on her own and smoothed out the pleats in her dark skirt.  
Shinji blushed bright red with embarrassment while similtaneously sighing with  
disappointment. Deciding he looked a complete moron with his arm outstetched, he  
retracted it and stuffed it into he trouser pocket before following Rei back into school.  
They made their way back to their class in silence. Shinji because he was too  
nervous to think of anything to say, and Rei because, well because she was Rei and  
silence had always come easy to her. They came to room 2-A, Shinji turned the door  
handle and walked in.  
The serenity quivered and then shattered like an opera glass hit by a Soprano's  
highest song. It was broken by the loud cry of " GO ON " coming from the ever loud   
Touji Suzahara.  
As usual Shinji's automatic response to having the attention of his whole class  
firmly centred on him and Rei, was to have a minor nervous breakdown.This caused  
him to babble non-sensibly, with all his attempts at speach illegible except for the  
occasional, rapid utterances of " What?" " Why?" and the ever-present " Huh?". As  
for Rei she just stood there calmly, tilting her head and raising a blue eyebrow in what  
could be called puzzlement. She thought, not for the first time, that the human race  
was incredibly weird and that it was a miracle it was not extinct.  
Meanwhile Touji continued shouting, " WHAHAAAY! Lets hear it for Ikari  
the super-stud. He's pulled himself quite a babe there, if a little on the intimidating,  
scary, ice-queen side."  
" Touji," Hikari said tightly.  
" Gosh, who would a thought it. Shinji and Rei," Keisuke said pushing his  
glasses further up the bridge of his nose. " I thought for sure he'd end up with Asuka."  
This statement was greeted by a warning glare from Hikari, a nod of  
agreement from Touji and an angry " Hmmph!" from Asuka herself. This of course  
was an opening that Touji could not resist.  
" Jealous Asuka.Worried someone else might be taking your sweet baka Shinji  
away."   
Asuka for a moment looked mortified and more than a little hurt. Her blue eyes  
opened wide as she considered his words.  
  
Touji smiled he thought.  
Hikari also noticed her friends mournful expression and her heart went out to  
Asuka.  
Noticing that evryone was now looking at her, she quickly made a cover-up by  
putting on her " Arrogant, German Harpy" mask.   
" Well I say they deserve each other. Baka Shinji and Wonder girl the two most  
stoic and boring people on the planet." She decided to use sarcasm a favourite tool of  
hers. " The fires of their passion will be devastating I'm sure. What with all the dirty  
talking they're bound to do."  
A couple of boys giggled. The girls however were far too occupied with  
targeting dirty looks at Rei. A couple of them where slowly grinding there teeth  
together. Others were discussing Rei, Shinji, and how cruel life and the world was.  
" Dammit she's so lucky."  
" Slag!"  
" What could he see in her she's so quiet and scary."  
" Oh Shin-chan."  
That last one made Keisuke worry, something in that girls tone indicated that  
she was a couple a gunmen short of a posse. he thought.  
Shinji by now had regained his ability to speak clearly, if not gracefully. He  
began waving in hands in front of him as if to ward of Touji's congratulations and the  
curious, gossip-driven questions of his classmates. While he did this he began spouting  
denials and even sweating a bit.  
" No its not what you think. We didn't do anything. We were just talking. I  
wouldn't do anything like that.," he babbled.  
" See," Touji proclaimed waving his finger in the air with imagined triumph."   
" He wouldn't be denying it so forcefully unless he was embarassed. He just doesn't  
want anyone to know about his and Rei's little fling."  
" That's not it at all," Shinji protested loudly.  
" Then why are you blushing."  
Shinji felt the warmth in his cheeks, which ironically made him more  
embarassed and more desperate to sort this mess out.  
" Nothing happened," he said through gritted teeth, now getting rather  
irritated.  
" That is correct," came a soft voice.  
Every turned to see Rei standing there as she was before, calmly and serenely.  
Only now she was talking.  
" Shinji-kun is correct, we displayed none of the type of romantic behaviour  
you are insinuating. We were merely talking." The looked at the rest of the class, most  
of whose reactions where minor face-faults. That is except for a few girls who sighed  
collectively, in relief that Shinji was still on the market.  
Rei weaved her way between the gawping teenagers and sat at her seat. Taking  
up her usual pose, of resting her arms in her lap as she stared unblinking out of the  
window.   
The other students seeing that the spectacle was over returnde to their own  
seats, gossiping about Shinji and Rei and trying to guess who Shinji really liked. Touji  
and Keisuke made their way over to Shinji, who was still slightly dumbfounded by the  
whole experience.  
" So you really did nothing with her?" Touji asked.  
" Of course not," Shinji replied.  
Keisuke adjusted his glasses and looked over at Touji. Touji returned the stare  
evenly and nodded with determination. Together the rose their arms and  
simultaneously walloped the back of Shinji's head., sending the young Ikari sprawling  
face first on the floor, legs and arms stuck in the air at uncomfortable angles.  
" IDIOT," they bothed yelled. Together they both stepped on their friends  
prone body and went to their seat.  
Shinji remained on the floor showing no signs of life other than a weak " Oro!".  
As he lay there he thought that maybe it was time to take up drinking.   
  
To be continued.  
  
  
AN- This chapter is dedicated to Kimberly, whose recent review has reminded me how  
popular this fic was and how I've been neglecting it. You see I kinda forgot what  
happens next. I know where I want to go with this story but I can't remember how to  
get there. As I soon as I do remember I'll try to get the next chapter up. In the  
meantime if you enjoy my writing I have written two other fics in two there anime  
series. They are Forver Autumn from Rurouni Kenshin and On my own from Ranma  
1/2. You may think this is a plug but I would really appreciate your reviews about my  
other fics and your opinions about my work. I hope I can get another chapter of this up  
soon after my Gundam fic which is in progress. 


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